Author: Mike Ritchie

TESTAMENT – Thrashes Cincinnati with SEPULTURA, PRONG…

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The Brotherhood of the Snake came to Bogarts in Cincinnati, OH Saturday, April 29 as Testament brought a show full of new material, classics, favorites and some rare oddities.  Prong and Sepultura helped turn the venue into a hot, sweaty mess with Germany’s Dying Gorgeous Lies’ second night of the U.S. tour. In the vein… Read more »


DIMMU BORGIR – Forces of the Northern Night

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Dimmu Borgir’s long-awaited May, 2011 Forces of the Northern Night show will finally be unleashed as a double-DVD set April 28 on multiple platforms via Nuclear Blast.  Not every band can pull off a show with a choir and orchestra, but they pulled them all together with the instruments intricately interwoven like the violins and… Read more »


Testament – Bay Area Brotherhood

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Their legacy began in the early ‘80’s, stomping Bay Area stages and speakers with aggressive riffs and the imposing earth shaking roar of vocalist Chuck Billy, laying the groundwork with fellow forefathers Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, Death Angel and other hallowed company that would become thrash metal.  When MTV was in the cradle and social media… Read more »


NILE – Immortalizing The Gods

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Nile began brushing away the ancient sands of time in ‘93 giving death metal voice and breath to the gods with technical blast beat precision, a well-researched thorough knowledge of the middle east and the land of the pyramids and guitars that delivered pestilent fury.  Guitarist/ vocalist Karl Sanders takes great pride and patience with… Read more »


AYREON – The Source

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The multi-layered, multi-faceted world of Arjen Lucassen continues in this prequel addition extension of the Forever saga.  Performed by instrument virtuoso Lucassen, 17 tracks take us on an epic, musical, spiritual journey with energy, groove soaked prog, folk, metal and fairy tale like narrative mixed with sci-fi and biomechanical ambiance, showing that music can truly escape… Read more »


OVERKILL – Keep The Gears Grinding

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Since their humble New Jersey beginnings in the early ‘80s, instilled with a solid blue collar East Coast work ethic and desire to make heavy, catchy, riff-driven thrash that crowds around the world have moshed to, Overkill vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni have stayed true to themselves, their fans and their hometown… Read more »


GUS G. – Showcases The Immortal Greek Spirit

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Greek power metal pioneers Firewind have cranked out several albums of high powered, high octave metal, anchored by founding guitarist Gus G.  With their newest record Immortals they’ve given heavy voice to the passion of the warrior’s fighting spirit.  They’ve dug into their roots, sporting Greek pride, recording a concept album about the great battles… Read more »


FIREWIND – Immortals

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The battle of 300 rages again with the eighth album from Greek power metal five piece Firewind.  Gus G and the band engage  the Immortals in 11 tracks racing through the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis.  Gus’s fingers shred through notes like the Spartans through the first two waves of Persians, adding melodic strings to… Read more »


OVERKILL & NILE – Grind Through Columbus

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Ancient Egypt and East Coast Jersey invaded Columbus Thursday, February 16 as Nile and Overkill smashed through The Park Street Saloon on night three of their 26 date U.S. tour.  Nile, with newly acquired vocalist and guitarist Brian Kingsland took their trademark technical death assault from the crypts to the mosh-ready minions with the full… Read more »


Judas Priest- Fueled For Life 30 Years Later

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For those that were too young to remember or not around yet, the ’80s was largely known and celebrated as a time of decadence, debauchery and decibels.  MTV was born, the Sunset Strip scene ruled L.A. and Judas Priest cranked out six fist raising, foot stomping, riff slamming albums.  The monumental British Steel started the… Read more »


NIGHTWISH – Vehicle of Spirit

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After a year-and-a-half of non-stop touring Nightwish has released Vehicle of Spirit; a multimedia boxset capturing the final show of the Endless Forms Most Beautiful tour at Wembley Arena and Tampere Stadium. Both shows capture the bombast, emotion, ambiance, band comradery and popularity of Nightwish on the grand stage.  Floor Jansen, the third woman to… Read more »


JUDAS PRIEST – Turbo 30

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The ‘80s saw Judas Priest put out six records, from the iconic British Steel to Ram It Down.  The band covered in leather that bled adrenaline and sweat with power chords and razor-teethed riffs experimented with synthesizers on their 10th album, Turbo. To some fans it was just an odd misstep and sign of the… Read more »